


Wake Up Where Your Love Is

by UniversallyEcho



Category: T@gged (Web Series)
Genre: Brandon decides cuddles are a good remedy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Near Death Experiences, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rowan Fricks-centric, Rowan is in shock, Sharing a Bed, Unresolved Sexual Tension, i just want my poor babies to be happy, very mild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 10:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17641361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniversallyEcho/pseuds/UniversallyEcho
Summary: His touch felt like sparks sending electricity through her spine. Brandon raised his eyes only to make direct eye contact with Rowan and the two fell into a trance, the background fading as if it was only them in the room.Or; Rowan and the others meet up at her house moments following Zoe's arrest. Rowan can't seem to fall asleep, luckily, Brandon has a solution.





	Wake Up Where Your Love Is

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raybanned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raybanned/gifts).



> Title was taken from the song Dream by Bishop Briggs.

Rowan’s memory is hazy. The last thing she remembers is a gun pointing at her chest. Seconds away from going off and ending everything she’s ever known, before Brandon and the others come to her rescue. The rest is a blur, getting to safety, reuniting with her dad, she thinks at some point Brandon says he loves her but it was probably her delusional mind playing tricks on her. Almost dying can do that to a person. Thinking about it just gives her a headache. It’s pounding is harmonizing with her heartbeat reminding her of what she almost just lost so instead she focuses on her fingers tracing over the rough wood, engrained with the markings of the young boy who first introduced chaos to her life. Her dad suggests they all go over to her mom’s place. Something about staying together and that the police were meeting at his to go over evidence. Rowan, still dazed, lets Elisia guide her to the car.

During the ride home she tries to pull herself back together. She's still, in this moment, trying to process everything that just happened. The adrenaline is still rushing through her veins. Her brain unable to fathom that it was finally over. She knows now it was all real, that she's not in some kind of terrifying nightmare and if not for the other teenagers crammed in her car, she would have burst into tears from the sudden realisation. She was the strong one, whenever the Zoo or MrMt or even KingCobra struck Rowan was rational. Hailey ran and Elisia pushed herself away from those who loved her most but Rowan was reliable. She had to be. She couldn't be weak now, she wouldn’t allow it. So instead she tried to school her expression and seem normal. Normal, as if that word now held any meaning.

The walk to her house was short and soon enough everyone, but Tessa and Jai who had already left, were crowded in her living room. Safe and sound she reminded herself. ‘You’re safe now. It’s over’ but no matter how many times she repeated those words over and over again she knew she was wrong. Everytime she thought she was safe it happened again.

Sean’s voice interrupts her thoughts which is strange because she can count on one hand the number of conversations she’s shared with him.

“Sorry, what?” Rowan replied looking back at him and glancing around the room. She was standing in the corner under a fluorescent light while the others were either splayed out on the couch or pacing across the room. Except for Elisia, whose been attached to her hip since exiting the car.

Before she could figure out what he was asking, Elisia answered for the both of them, “Oh, it must be from when Zoe tried to hang us.”

Rowan felt her heart drop, annoyed at herself for not paying attention. She hadn’t wanted to share that little detail with the others, she had caused enough trouble as is and didn’t need to attract anymore attention. She wasn't the type of girl to ask for help, and she'd had enough of putting other people in danger so she could play damsel in distress.

“What?” Jake’s booming voice spread throughout the room and Elisia visibly flinched from the sheer volume. Rowan squeezed Elisia closer to her protectively as if her arms were a shield against the harsh tone of Jake’s voice. Ash noticed this immediately and reached for Elisia guiding her to sit on his lap while he soothingly stroked her hair. He looked up at Rowan,

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Next time I’ll try to fit that in my schedule right between being chased from a serial killer and almost getting shot by that same serial killer” Rowan wanted to snap. Instead those words echoed through her skull while she shrugged.

Rowan felt cool hands gently lifting her chin. She drifted her gaze to see none other than Brandon Darrow’s careful eyes observing the bruises on her neck 

“What are you doing?” Rowan asked, silently congratulating herself for keeping her voice much more stable than she felt.

 “She really did a number on you huh?” was his only reply as he continued to gently graze her neck with nimble fingers. His touch felt like sparks sending electricity through her spine. Brandon raised his eyes only to make direct eye contact with Rowan and the two fell into a trance, the background fading as if it was only them in the room. An awkward cough interrupted their moment and Rowan swiftly moved away, instantly regretting the loss of Brandon’s touch.

“So what exactly happened with you two at Zoe’s anyway?” Sean asked from his spot on the couch while  playing a video game with a rather defeated looking Trevor. Rowan made a mental note to check in with him later.

Elisia started explaining and Rowan blocked her out as she searched to find the new phone her dad had given her before they left the camp. Now that both MrMt and KingCobra were gone she could finally get back in touch with Hailey and try to convince her to come back. After everything they’ve gone through they needed to stay together now more than ever.

When she found what she was looking for she made herself comfortable against the arm of her couch and typed in Hailey’s number.

 **Rowan** [ 9:58 ] 

Hailey, It’s me Rowan, I threw my old phone into a pool so this is my new number. I don’t know if you’re still using this number but I had to tell you, it’s finally over.

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:01 ] 

How do I know it’s really you?

 

 **Rowan** [ 9:58 ]

How else would I know that during your tenth birthday you ate so much cake you threw up on Tommy Kinkle’s lap?

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:01 ] 

I remember he got so mad his parents threatened to file a lawsuit.

 

At the fond memory Rowan feels herself smile slightly before looking back down to see another message.

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:01 ]

What do you mean it’s all over?

 

 **Rowan** [ 10:02 ]

I mean we caught King Cobra. It was Zoe Desaul. The new girl who started flirting with Ash. Turns out she was Dunbar’s cousin and blamed us for his death. MrMt was her boyfriend Stinger, but not really, he was only pretending to be Stinger. The real Stinger was a girl who didn’t reach out to me until a couple days ago.

 

 **Rowan** [ 10:02 ]

You can finally come back now we figured it out.

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:03 ]

Rowan, It’s great you guys are safe now but I’m not coming back. I can’t.

 

 **Rowan** [ 10:03 ]

Why not? It’s over. There’s nothing else to run from. Hailey, come on.

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:04 ]

If I come back now I’ll be asked why I left in the first place. I’ll have to confront my mom. And the school. And Elisia who is no doubt still mad at me. And Hawk. I promised him I’d get my shit together and instead I ran. Like a coward.

 

 **Rowan** [ 10:03 ]

We were all scared, we’re kids.

 

 **Hailey** [ 10:04 ]

And yet the rest of you stayed.

 

Rowan stared at the last five words willing her brain to come up with something she could say to comfort her friend. She was right though and no amount of reassuring would change the fact that Hailey left the others to fend for themselves. She didn’t blame her, she never did and quite frankly she would have done the same if she didn’t feel a strong sense liability for Dunbar’s suicide. So instead she wrapped up their conversation and put away her phone to spend the rest of the time pretending to be interested in the conversation around her. This went on for another hour until Elisia yawned and Jake used it as an excuse to send the rest of them off to sleep. Rowan walked upstairs to her room knowing fully well that she was getting no sleep that night.

Instead of bothering with the bed Rowan sat, crossed leg, in the middle of her room on the floor. In her small rectangular mirror she looked at her reflection shocked at the state she was in. Her hair was a tangled mess, frizzy and matted. Her eyes were swollen and sunken in paired with a nice tear tracks on her ghostly pale face. God, she was a mess. Her eyes drifted down to the middle of her collarbone, both where her necklace layed and where the cold metal of a gun once pointed at her. She swore if she closed her eyes she would be back in the forest in that exact spot.

Rowan heard a small creak and turned around to see Brandon standing at the door, looking momentarily uncertain, before striding inside and closing the door behind him. He hopped on the queen sized bed while looking back to Rowan. This earned him a glare.

If he could tell that there was no malice in her eyes he didn’t say word. Just stared at her with his irritatingly charming face until she finally let out a big sigh. “What?”

“I didn’t say anything” He answered with a smirk.

“Yes but you’ve invaded my room and made yourself comfortable on my bed so out with it, what sarcastic remark was so urgent you couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning to pester me with?” Oddly enough bantering with Brandon seemed to ease her unsettled nerves.

“Just came to check up on you. Come join me.” He replied, while patting the space beside him. Rowan raised her eyebrows unamused but finally joined him.

The two sat awkwardly, just barely touching, before Brandon turned his head and broke the silence.

“Were you planning on staring at the mirror all night?” She noticed his voice has softened and no longer held a teasing tone but rather a concerned one.

“I couldn’t sleep” She simply replied, hoping that would be enough to please him. The way his eyes scanned the rest of her body for any injuries proved otherwise. Simply hearing the words weren’t enough. Brandon wanted to take her into his arms and carefully check absolutely everywhere possible to make sure Rowan was okay.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner.” Rowan shook her head at that statement, reaching to take his hand into one of her own before making eye contact.

“You saved my life. It doesn’t matter how long it took, it mattered that you came after me, even after you found out I framed you.” Brandon smiled slightly at that. 

“We’re even now” He replied, his face reaching forward until suddenly there was so little space between the two that Rowan could feel the warmth of his exhales. Brandon’s gaze fell on her lips before he looked back up to her eyes. Despite what she had once believed, Brandon was an excellent kisser.

The first time they kissed when he snuck into her room was sweet. Her heart had been racing and she hadn’t slept the rest of that night. Instead she found herself clutching the maroon cardigan he had left behind staring at the moon wishing she had been brave enough to ignore KingCobra’s interruption. What she didn’t know then, is that the kiss would be considered tame compared to their second kiss. Their second kiss, outside Elisia's home, despite being secretive and spur of the moment, never once felt rushed.

When Rowan first kissed Jake she found the whole thing to be rather overrated. By no means was Jake a bad kisser but it never left her wanting for more. She always felt scared when she was with him. Terrified of being watched and paranoid they were going to get caught. With Brandon, each kiss felt like a million fireworks were erupting around her. Nerves throughout her body were coming to life reacting to the passion she felt. When he tangled his hand in her hair lightly scraping at her scalp he lit a fire deep inside her. Brandon made her feel safe and completely unaware of the chaos around her.

To Rowan’s utter disappointment Brandon leaned in to kiss her neck, not lips, to cover the bruises she was given from the noose. Once confirming Rowan was okay with his touch, he continued down her neck to the spot she had been staring at earlier through the mirror. The moment his plush lips made contact to her skin she could feel the cold feeling of metal leave her memory, slowly being replaced by the warmth that was Brandon Darrow.

She risked a glance up at him then, finding that he was closing the distance between them. She was enclosed in a warm hug as he wrapped his arms around her and she felt all the tension she had been holding melt away at his touch.

“Do you think you could try to sleep with me here?” Brandon whispered quietly as to not destroy the serenity around them. As if anything he could say would break Rowan from the pleasant state he had thrown her into. She nodded slightly into his neck.

She wasn’t entirely sure how but she ended up sprawled across him with her head on his chest and their legs tangled together. She sighed, pressing herself closer to the warmth of him and thinking idly that she had never felt so at peace.

When tomorrow morning came, she would have to face her dad and explain why she never went to him for help. Then explain why her attendance at school had dropped so dramatically. Not to mention, face Jake and confess that she may not be as in love with him as she once thought. She’d have to find another way to convince Hailey to come back and bring up to her that Hawk was injured while trying to save her. For now though she took a deep breath, taking in Brandon’s musk, before pressing her ear to his chest letting his heartbeat lull her to sleep. For now she would rest and enjoy the peaceful moment, as she knew it wouldn’t last long.

**Author's Note:**

> After days of contemplation I'm finally done writing this fic. This is my first ever work so I was really nervous about it and it took a while longer than I thought but I think it turned out okay. This is only the first of many many works I'm sure because there is not nearly enough Browan fanfiction on this site. I'm thinking about doing other works about PTSD some of the characters face (because there aren't a lot of scenes like that in the third season). I also want to do AU's, like soulmates or coffee shop fluff for Browan. Please comment to let me know what you thought (feedback is always appreciated) (Especially with the characterization because I'm not sure how I did there) and let me know if you have ideas and prompts you want me to write about. Thank you for reading!!!


End file.
